My 2009 Oasis Tandem is taking on water in the hull. I have attempted to locate the possible origin using all the techniques that I have discovered on theses forums. Pressurizing the hull with my shopvac seemed to be the most effective. I have some bubbles coming out around the hatches on top of the kayak; however, there is no way the water is getting in from the these places; I am on a perfectly still lake. The only place I have found where bubbles are showing and water could possibly be getting in is around the cam bolt in the back drive well. I have not been able to locate the exact place inside the hull on the drivewell where the water is coming in. However, it seems to be coming from there. It is taking on a significant amount of water in it (inch to inch and a half) after only 2-3 hours of time on the lake. Does anyone have any suggestions on what I can do to fix the cam bolt? Thanks!

Thanks for your response. I bought the boat second-hand off Craig's List. So, no warrenty. It is in excelent shape and did not seem to have a leak the first few times I took it out. If I did have a warrenty, what do you think they would do to fix it?

We do offer warranty consideration to second owners. You would need to contact a dealer to submit information via warranty claim. That is assuming that the hull was not already replaced by us and this being the warrantied hull being resold... seen that before. We might offer a reduced cost replacement hull as an option if it's all legit.

Are the cam columns (the plastic columns into which the cam bolts are drilled) cracked?

If they are a bit of silicone sealant into the cam bolt holes before reinserting the cam bolts might conceivably do the trick.

If you can't find an actual or obvious source of a leak around the cam bolts you might look for a crack in the area of the drive well.

Unfortunately even a really tiny crack in the plastic below the water line can allow water in and the constant working of the pedals in the area of the drive well and cams/cam bolts tends to pump water in through cracks in these areas. When my cam columns cracked my boat filled up alarmingly quickly whenever I pedaled!

Even more unfortunately such below the waterline cracks are, by all accounts, hard to fix.

I'm sorry to say that the last year of manufacture for cam bolts is 2008. You should check your hull's serial # to see what you actually bought. There is an FAQ section that tells how to read the number and where to find it.

The good news is that cam bolts and/or cam columns are generally repairable. You can do a search on the topic, but here's a link to get you started: viewtopic.php?f=11&t=11245

BTW, I wouldn't use silicon anywhere near a structural problem, as it may be be impossible to remove sufficiently if you have to do any repairs, which sounds like your case.

Sorry about that, I must be using the wrong terminology. The locking system works by inserting the marige drives and flipping a lever on both sides to lock the drive in place.

The last four digits of the number on the hull are: J 8 09

Based on the key below, this is a 2009. If I'm wrong please tell me so I can correct my email to the dealer. CCM = Coast Catamaran Manufacturer Y = Model of kayak. 9537 = Serial number sequence number J = "J" is the month for November. 8 = year built is 2008 09 = The boat is a 2009 model year. Model years are like cars. The new year starts in September.

The cam lock system was employed through 2008; the "Click N Go" system begun with the inflatables (2008?); the rest of the Mirage Drive kayaks began using a modified version of this at the beginning of the 2009 model year. This then is what you have.

I've personally not experienced any leaks on this system, but if you have a leak, you may have a hairline crack that opens up under the stress of using the Drive. A careful examination with a mirror and light may reveal such a crack looking inside the hull, perhaps emanating from one of the screw down points.

You can also remove the suspect C&G unit with an allenhead wrench and have the exact leak location revealed with the bubble test. Take pics to document this and file a warranty claim with Hobie (through your local dealer), even the boat is out of warranty. If the Company offers a reasonable replacement hull cost, that would be great!

If not, you may be able to arrest and seal the crack from the interior using the 3M DP 8010 epoxy or mentioned in the link above or Loctite 3030. They both have excellent adhesion to PE and should be able to seal the leak and reinforce the plastic. There is a stiffer version of the 3M product called DP 8010 NS that has more body -- may be best for this type of repair.

First you need to pinpoint the crack (if you have one) and have interior access to it via the rear cockpit 8" hatch.,

Ok, leak found. Before putting the boat in the water, I placed paper towels all around the inside of the hull. This enabled me to identify the general location where the water is entering and eliminate any additional sources. The water is dripping from the tip of the bottom of the back of the rear drivewell. I then took the boat home and used the flashlight suggestion to locate the exact spot. There is a crack right where the water is dripping. I had some troubles getting images to post here, so I just created a page on my site; ( http://www.kaetech.net/oasis/ ). The images show up with any browser, but Firefox requires you to download plugins to view the videos; IE 8 works fine. Depending on the speed of your braudband, you may need to view the videos twice; the second time looks a lot better.

I have contacted a local dealer and am waiting to hear what he can offer before I attempt any repairs. Either way, I will update the post once a resolution has been reached.

UPDATE: I have been working with our local Hobie dealer for the past few weeks. To make a long story short; he was able to offer me a replacement hull for a very reasonable price. I now have a brand new hull! Hobie really stands behind it's product

Now I have another question. The pegs on the old seats do not fit the holes on the new hull (the new hull has the lock tabs on the seats). How do I modify the pegs on the 2009 seats to fit the 2013 hull? I have seen something called a peg conversion kit, but I was not certain if that is what I need.

Your other option is to remove the adapter by unscrewing it and use your old pegs. If you remove the seat often or have had problems with your seat staying inh place the new kit is the way to go. It takes a little doing to drift the pin back but you can press it back in with pliers.